Coturnix Quail
Coturnix coturnix

Coturnix Quail are also known as Japanese and Pharaoh quail. The are by far the easiest and most popular bird to raise. They are fully grown at 6 weeks and will lay eggs year round if they are given enough light and warmth. The females lay one egg per day, and the eggs themselves are quite tasty. The birds are raised worldwide for their meat and eggs. Falconers and rehabilitators commonly use this bird as live prey.

Coturnix quail are for the most part gentle and calm birds that tolerate the presence of others well. During the summer months the males become walking hormones and have a fighting good time. The fighting is normally not lethal but they can blind each other if they are too crowded.

 Coturnix quail are not very inclined to fly inside an aviary and spend almost all their time on the ground. Males and females are very similar but the male typically has a reddish chest while the female as white chest with mottled black. The males also emit an unmistakable "what's that?" call that has also been characterised as the sound of a melting Klingon.

A comprehensive description of coturnix quail and their biology can be found at The Temperate Biome.